Justice Antonin Scalia's death marks the end of a strong and often-controversial conservative voice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

"His signature philosophy was originalism and he stuck with that the constitution should be interpreted the way the drafters intended it,” said Clark Kelso, a professor of constitutional law at McGeorge School of Law.

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"Some would have called him a provocateur, but at the same time he had the chops to be at the (Supreme) Court and to state his opinion and be a really valuable source of thought,” said Kevin Eckery, a Sacramento-based political consultant.

Without Justice Scalia’s intellectual horsepower anchoring the right wing, the balance of the Supreme Court could soon shift.

“They’re down to eight members so instead of having now five to four votes, there are important cases coming up where the court may not be able to have a majority,” Kelso said.

“What would change it is a democratic president putting a moderate or a liberal in that slot,” Eckery said.

The question now is whether a Republican-held Senate will entertain the nomination President Obama intends to give, or delay the decision until after the November election.

"In the highly polarized Washington you see today it will be impossible to have the kind of meeting of the minds that would result in an appointee who is acceptable to the Republican majority,” Eckery said. “It's just not going to happen."

“The Senate would be concerned that they want to see if they can get a Republican in the presidency, who then might appoint someone who would be like Scalia,” Kelso said.

Appointing a new Supreme Court justice can extend a president's influence for decades after he or she leaves office, which sets the stage for finding Justice Scalia's replacement to become a part of the race for the White House.

"Who will be taking his seat will become one of the dominant features of the campaign,” Eckery said.

“It will be very interesting to see the politics here, since the Senate, and I assume virtually all presidential contenders, will want to be the one to make this nomination,” Kelso said.